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Sunday, September 6, 2015

Sweet tasting spree

I wouldn’t consider myself a big fan
of Indian food. But I cannot resist Indian desserts. And since the festive
season has begun, I get to relish all kinds of sweets, and I love them?!

payasam

Indian
cuisine is an amalgamation of an exciting variety of snacks, stir-fries,
curries, breads and not to forget - mouthwatering desserts. Loaded with
sweetness and enriched with the goodness of milk, nuts, fruits and aromatic
agents likekewra and saffron, Indian desserts are a
treat to the taste buds and an indispensable part of any celebration or
festivity.

Payasam,
a south Indian delicacy is a bowl
full of rice or vermicelli cooked in milk, sweetened and finished with a hearty
addition of nuts and dry fruits. I am told, in Kerala, Payasam gets a dedicated space in the
traditionalthaliduring
festivals like Onam or during the traditional Malayalam feast popularly known
asSadhya.

Since I am currently based in
South India, my Onam would definitely be incomplete without Payasam. So I go on
mission-payasam. And end up at Hotel Ayodhya, Mangalore. I was recommended this place
by a friend and I thought of trying it out since I do not know my way around
the place anyways.

But to my disappointment, I
wouldn’t get payasam there. With a heavy heart I was about to leave when the
waiter announced a list of other desserts they serve. Some names sounded
familiar. Now that I was already here, the foodie within me bounced into action
and I decided to have something. And I ended up ordering not one, butfour
desserts.

neyappam

First to arrive was Neyappam. I
was having this for the first time. Neyyappam is a Kerala special rice and jaggery pancakes
fried in ghee. Cardamom and dried ginger are added for flavour.

Kaju Halwa

Ras Malai

Jalebis

The
next to arrive was Ras Malai (a Bengali sweetmeat). I anyways love Ras Malai
and ended up getting another one. I also managed to have Jalebis (a sweet made by deep frying wheat flour in circular shapes
and soaking them in sugar syrup) and Cashew
Halwa (confection made out of cashew nuts) aswell. It was such a great day.

I was
rather full by this time and decided to forget about mission-payasam. So I went back and was
delighted to find my cook serve payasam and gulab jamun (dessert made out of
milk solids and soaked in sugar syrup) in the evening! Yayyh!! I was wondering
what‘s up with her. Guess she read my mind and said, ‘Onam special.’ So I not
only eat payasam, but also went on a sweet tasting spree!

Gulab Jamun

Which
Indian dessert is your favourite? Which one would you recommend I have next?
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